Apparatus to change the length of corrugated wires



June 12, 1945. s. e. BLUMENSAADT 2,378,058

APPARATUS TO CHANGE THE LENGTH OF CORRUGATED WIRES Filed March 12, 1343 4 SheetsSheet 1 INVENTOR. BY SVEND E- Bl UMENSIMDT 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

June 12, 1945.

s. G. BLUMENSAADT APPARATUS TO CHANGE THE LENGTH OF CORRUGATED WIRES Filed March 12, 1943 'F'IG- 4 .SVEND 5- Bl UNEMSHHDT J1me 1945- s. G. BLUMENSAADT 2,378,058

APPARATUS TO CHANGE THE LENGTH OF CORRUGATED WIRES INVENTOR. svavz 5- B4 unawsnam WWW.

June 12, s. G. BLUMENSAADT 2,373,058

APPARATUS TO CHANGE THE LENGTH OF CORRUGATED WIRES Filed March 12, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. SVEND 5 BLUHEMSHRDT Patented June 12 1945 FICE amps:

'ro omen 'rna mom or wmas CORRUGATED Svend G. Blumensaadt, Beachwood Village, h assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Uni-- versal Wire Spring Company, Cleveland, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio 15 Claims.

"This invention relates to the manufacture oi zigzag bent or sinuously corrugated wires generally used for making wire springs for seat and back structures. Corrugated wires are commonly bent to zigzag shape or sinuous corrugations in wire bending or corrugating machines by means of cam arms or bell cranks which alternately engage and bend a wire in opposite directions when the wire passes between these cam arms or bell cranks. The shape of the loops or cormgations of thus manufactured corrugated wires depends largely upon physical properties such as elasticity, hardness, etc., of the wire to be corrugated, which physical properties are controlled by conditions present in the manufacture of the wire and the percentage of impurities in the steel from which the wire is manufactured or drawn. Proper corrugation of a wire, particularly proper length of a corrugated wire having the desired number of corrugations per foot, is therefore difiicult and highly intricate when eflected as presently practiced by change of timing of the cam arms or bell cranks in wire corrugating machines of the type referred to above.

The general object of this invention is the provision of a more practical and eificient way for properly dimensioning a corrugated wire by subjecting the corrugated wire to step by step adjustment of the width of its corrugations so as to produce a corrugated wire embodying a definite length for a definite number of corrugations.

Such a general object of the invention is attained by subjecting the corrugations or loops of a corrugated wire successively to stresses adapted to change the width of these corrugations so that the corrugated wire embodies for a definite length a definite number of loops or corrugations.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device adapted to adjust the length of a sinuously corrugated wire, the device including means to effect successive/step by step adjustment of the width of the corrugations of the corrugated wire while advancing the wire through the device.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device adapted to adjust the length of a sinuously corrugated wire, the, device embodying continuously rotating means and oscillatory means cooperating with said first means Application March 12, 1943, Serial No. 478,955

means and cooperating with said rotating means in successive step by step adjustment of the width of the corrugations of a corrugated wire while advancing through the device.

Still a further object of the invention is the provision of a device adapted-to adjust the length of a sinuously corrugated wire by successive step in successive step by step adjustment of the width oi the corrugations of a corrugated wire while advancing the wire through the device.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a device adapted to adjust the length of a sinuously corrugated wire, the device including continuously rotating means and adjustably mounted oscillatory means oscillating in a plane rectangularly related tothe axis of said rotatin I of Fig. 3.

by step adjustment of the width of the corrugations of the corrugated wire accurately, rapidly and inexpensively, the device being of as simple a design and low cost as possible and practical and eflicient for all purposes intended.

Additional objects and novel features of construction, combination and relations of parts by which the objects in view have been attained will appear and are set forth in detail in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate certain practical embodiments of the invention, but it will be apparent as the" specification proceeds that the structure may be modified and changed in various ways without departure from the true spirit and broad scope of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end-view of a device adapted to decrease the width of the corrugations of a corrugated wire to attain the desired number of loops or corrugations per foot; the device which, as diagrammatically indicated, is coupled with a wire bending or corrugating machine, embodies means to adjust the timing with respect to said machine and means for adjusting the change in the width of the corrugations of the wire formed in the corrugating machine and fed to and through said device.

Fig. 2 is a side-view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 3, the section being taken on line 4-1 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 i a plan view of the device similar to Fig. 3 with the hinged top portion removed therefrom.

Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the hinged top portion of the device.

Fig.7 is a transverse sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 3 showing the mechanism for vertically oscillating the oscillatory member of the device, the section being taken on line 1-1 Fig.8 is a front view of the adjusting means for changing the timed relation between the device and its driving means.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view'on line 9-4 of Fig.

Fig. '10 is a sectional view through a somewhat modified .form of a device adaptedto increase the width of the corrugations of a corrugated wire to attain a wire having for a definite length a definite number of loops or corrugations.

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatical view showing a method for effecting compression of the individual loops of a corrugated wire to form said wire for a definite length with a definite number of loops, and

Fig. 12 i a diagrammatical view showing a method for effecting stretching of the individual loops of a corrugated wire to form said wire for a definite length with a definite number of loops.

Referring now more particualrly to Figs. 1 through 8 of the drawings, the device shown therein includes a base member 2 embodying a substantially rectangularly shaped open frame 3 and two oppositely arranged flanges 4 and 5 extended outwardly from frame 3 in alignment with its side walls 6 and 1. Open frame 3 mounts in its side walls bearing 8 and 6 for a shaft H) which carries and controls the actuating members of the device. Thus shaft III has rigidly secured thereto a toothed wheel II, the teeth l2 of which are formed with straight front faces H for slidable engagement with the cross-wires of a sinuously corrugated wire, as will be later described, and a cam member IS, the elevated cam portions I6 of which equal in number the number of teeth on wheel |I. Frame 3 furthermore mounts a lifting lever l1 pivotally supported in a block i8 on the top face of front wall IQ of frame 3, which lifting lever i1 contacts with its rotary pin 20 cam member l6 and is shifted by the cam portions |6 in timed relation with respect to toothed wheel I Frame 3 has its top covered by three metal plates, two outer plates 2| and 22 and a middle plate 23, which are securely fastened to frame 3 in spaced relation with respect to each other by screws 24. The two outer plates 2| and 22 mount blocks 25, 26 which hingedly support a top frame 21 resting on middle plate 23 when in predetermined position. Top frame 21 embodies two oppositely arranged metal rods 26 which at one end are provided with ear portions 29 and with these ear portions pivoted to a pin 30 fastened in hinge blocks 25, 26 to hingedly connect the top frame to base member 2. The rods 26 which are connected to each other in spaced parallel relation by an L-shaped plate 3| form a slide for an open frame member 32 dimensioned to slide between rods 26 and held in position by gibs 33 secured to rods 28 by screws 33'. Frame member 32 is shifted in its slide by a manually actuated mechanism 34 including two meshing miter gears 35, 36 on shafts 3.1, 36, which shafts are pivoted in L-shaped plate 3|. The shaft 31 extends outwardly of the device and carries an operating knob 39, and the shaft 38 extends axfolly of the device and has its outer end 46 threadedly engaged with the threaded bore 4| of a block 42 mounted on frame member 32, so as to effect asraoca longitudinally slotted to permit extension of the toothed wheel extending through a slot 43 in plate 23 and an oscillatorily mounted finger portion 49 through the slot 60 in plate 44 into through passage 41 for actuation of wheel H and finger portion 49 on corrugated springs fed through passag 41. I

The finger portion 49 is mounted inan auxiliary frame structure 6| which is arranged in the rectangular opening 62 of frame 32 and pivotally connected to said frame by a pin 63 for oscillatory movements with respect thereto. This auxiliary frame structure which is yoke-shaped to avoid interference with wheel H and channeled in its bottom face to avoid interference with plate 44, mounts finger portion 46 in a bore 64 by a pin 55, so that the lower end 56 of said finger portion extends through the slot 56 in plate 44 into through-passage 41. In addition, this auxiliary frame structure is yieldingly forced downwardly so that the finger portion 49 contacts plate 23. This is effected by a compression spring 61 seated in a bore 58 of L-shaped plate 3| and contacting the upper face of frame structure 5|.

Cam member l5 on shaft ill effects timedpositive upward movements of frame structure 6| when lifting lever l1, resting with its front portion against the lower face of said frame structure, is shifted upwardly by one of the cam portions I6 onsaid cam member. Such upward movement of the frame structure removes the lower end 66 of finger portion 49 from the through-passage 41 and permits at that time free feeding of a corrugated wire spring through this part of passage 41. the frame structur 5| and its finger portion 48 is timed with respect to toothed wheel II, and such timing is controlled by shifting of open frame member 32 as previously described.

When in operative position, the top frame 21 of the device rests upon middle plate 23 and is held in proper working position'by a clamping rod 56 hinged at 60 to a bracket 6| and releasably held in position at its other end by a rod 62 pivoted at 63 to the base member 2, rod 62 entering the slotted end 64 of clamping rod 69 and securely holding same in proper positio' by a thumb screw 65 engaging the threaded end 66 of rod 62.

The thus described structure for adjusting the length of a sinuously corrugated wire is particularly adapted for direct coupling with a wire its shifting by rotation of knob 36, causing ro-.

tation of shaft 36 in the bore 4| of block 42.

The open frame member 32 has its bottom face longitudinally channeled and mounts in its channel 43 a hardened plate 44 which is secured to member 32 by screws 45. This plate is at its bottom face longitudinally channeled and. its channel 46 provides a passage 41 between the hardened middle plate 23 and open frame mem-- ber 32 when top frame 21 rests upon said middle plate, all for the purpose of providing a through passage for corrugated springs fed into and through the device. Furthermore, plate 44 is bending machine, all as diagrammatically illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. In these figures the structure previously described is secured to the frame 61 of a wire bending machine by a bracket 68 which is attached to frame 61 by bolts 63. Bracket 66 which mounts base member 2 carries on a stud shaft 16 a spur gear 1| meshing with driving gear 12 of the wire bending machine and a gear 13 on shaft i ll, so that the driving gear of the wire bending machine directly controls operation and timing of the structure in accordance with production and feed of a corrugated wire into the through-passage 41 of the device. An ad- Justable coupling arrangement 14 between gear 13 and shaft l0 effects any desired adjustment between said gear and shaft and therewith the toothed wheel I and cam member l6 which actuates finger portion 49 and permits of proper timing between the device and the wire bending machine.

In operating the device for adjusting the length of a sinuously corrugated wire, previously corrugated wire is fed into the through-passage 41 in the direction marked by arrow 16, so that the The upward movement of cross-wires between the loops of the wire are successively engaged by the teeth I! of toothed wheel H. While thus advancing, the corrugated wire has its cross-wire ahead of the cross-wire engaged by a tooth of wheel ll retarded or arrested for a time interval by finger portion 49 and held stationary until the frame structure mounting finger portion 49 is shifted upwardly by lifting lever I! and releases the respective crosswire. During this arresting period of a crosswire by finger portion 49, the adjoining crosswire is pushed forward, so that the loop between the two cross-wires is. subjected to a squeezing action resulting in a permanent change of the distance between adjoining cross-wires and in a reshaping of the corrugations to the desired number of loops per foot. Such reshaping of the cor-- rugated wire can be fully controlled by the manually actuated adjustment mechanism 34, all as previously described.

A permanent set of the corrugated spring during squeezing operations in the manner described necessitates shifting of adjoining cross-wires of the spring far beyond their desired final set. This excessive shifting of the cross-wires with respect to each other effects the width of the spring to such an extent that channel or passage 4'! must be widened at 15 to prevent interference with proper advance of the spring through the device whenever finger portion 49 is shifted and has released the previously arrested cross-wire of the spring.

To obtain best results with the device, the previously corrugated wire should be held under slight tension to avoid undesired retarding action at the entrance of passage 41 and possible interference with proper engagement of the teeth I2 of wheel II with the respective cross-wires of the corrugated wire.

The modified form of the invention shown in Fig. of the drawings shows a device adapted to lengthen a previously corrugated wire to attain a finished product of definite length and definite numbers of loops or corrugations. In this device, which is generally built similar to the device previously described, the toothed wheel TI is arranged ahead of an oscillatory stopping or arresting device 18, the finger portion 19 of which effects timely stopping or arresting of a corrugated wire. In this action, the teeth 80 of rotating wheel 11 exert successive pulls on the cross-wires of successive loops and thus efiect spreading and lengthening of the corrugated wire to attain the desired definite number of loops or corrugations per foot. Stopping or arresting device 18 has its finger portion [9 pointed to insure proper stopping action on cross members of a corrugated insufiicient number of corrugations 82 per foot to a the desired shape by successive compression of its individual loops 83. Such a successive compression of the loops is effected by successively ofloops or corrugations of the wire per foot.

Fig. 12 discloses resetting of a previously corcessive openingup of its individual loops." Such a successive opening up of the loops of the corrugated wire is effected by successive advancing of each of the wire cross-members 81 while simultaneously retarding or stopping .thefollowingi member so as to increase the spacing ofv adjacent cross members and therewith change the number of loops or corrugations of the wire per Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

What I claim is:

1. In a device for adjusting the length of sinuouslycorrugated wires, a guiding passage for a sinuously corrugated wire, and shiftable means having portions extended into said passage adapted to engage step by step the cross members of said corrugated wire, said means being arranged in a plane extending lengthwise through said passage in rectangular relationship with respect thereto so that said means when shifted intersect said passage and effect adjustmentv of the spacing of said cross members by direct contact therewith when the corrugated wire passes through said guiding passage.

2. In a device for adjusting the length of sinuously corrugated wires, aguiding passage for a sinuously corrugated wire, rotatable means having tooth-like portions extended into said passage bers of said corrugated wire and advancement of said wire through said passage, and oscillatory means extended into'said passage for successive engagement with said cross members in timed relation with respect to the rotation of said rotatable means to effect adjustment of the set spacing of said cross members when said corrugated wire is advaricing through said guiding passage, said tooth-like portions and said oscillatory means being arranged in planes extending through said passage in rectangular relationship with respect thereto.

3. In a device for adjusting the length of sinuously corrugated wires, a guiding passage for a sinuously corrugated wireyerotatable means mounted to rotate in a plane extending lengthwise through said passage inrectangular relation with respect thereto andincluding tooth-like portions extended into said passage for successive engagement with the cross members of said corrugated wire and advancement of said wire stopping each of the wire cross members 84 while simultaneously advancing the cross members following the stopped members, which action forces adjacent cross members toward each other and through said passage, oscillatory means mounted to oscillate in the plane of rotation of said rotatable means and extended into said passage for successive timed engagement with said cross members in timed relation with respect to the rotation of said rotatable means to effect adjust mentof the spacing ofthe said cross members when said corrugated wireis. advancing through said guiding passage, and means to adjust the distance between the axis of rotation of said rotatable means'lan'd'ithe axis of oscillationof said oscillatory "means tocontrol theratio of adjustment of. the spacing between the of saidcorrugatedspring,

l. In a device, for adjusting the length of sinu-' ously'corrugated wires, means adapted to continuously advance a corrugated wire through said device, and."-means adapted to "timely stop advancement of. one portion of said wire to effect a changes their spacing and therewith the number I cross members reset in said wire by changing the spacing'oi the cross members of said corrugated wire, said advancing and said stopping means being mounted to be actuated in planes extending lengthwise of said corrugated wire in rectangular relationship to the plane of the corrugations of said wire.

5. In a device for adjusting the length of sinuously corrugated wires rotary means adapted to continuously rotate in a plane rectangularly related to the plane of a corrugated wire advanced by said rotary means through said device, shiftable means mounted to be actuated in a plane rectangularly related to the plane of said corrugated wire and adapted to timely stop advancementof one portionpf said wire while, its other portion continues to advance to eifect a reset in said wire by changing the spacing of its cross members, and means slidably mounting said shiftable means, said means mounting said shiftable means being slidably supported to change the distance between said rotary means and said stopping means and effect positive control of the ratio of adjustment of the length of said wire.

' 6. In a device for adjusting the length of sinuously corrugated wires a chambered body having a through-passage for a corrugated wire, means in said body having portions arranged in a plane rectangularly related to said passage and extended thereinto, said means being adapted to con-' tinuously advance a corrugated wire in said passage, a second means in said body having a portion arranged to be shifted in a plane rectangularly related to said passage and to be extended into said passage, said second means being adapted to arrest portions of a corrugated wire when advancing in said passage, and means effecting intermittent shifting of the extended portion of said last means into and out of said passage to alternately arrest and release the said portions of a corrugated wire in timed relation with respect to said advancing means, and efiect resetting of said portions with respect to each other.

'7. A device for adjusting the length of sinuously corrugated wires .as described in claim 6, wherein said second means is hingedly supported and yicldingly forced toward said passage so that its portion extends thereinto, and wherein said means effecting intermittent shifting of said second means embody a cam operated lever arm actuated in timed relation with respect to said advancing means.

8. A device for adjusting the length of sinuously corrugated wires as described in claim 6, wherein said second means is mounted in a frame slidably supported in said body in a plane substantially parallel to its through-passage to control resetting of said portions and therewith the length of a sinuously corrugated wire by adjustment of the distance between said first and second means.

9. A device for adjusting the length of sinuously corrugated wires as described in claim 6, wherein said second means is mounted in a frame slidably supported in said body in a plane substantially parallel to its through-passage, and wherein means are provided to shift said slidable frame and change the distance between said first and second means for control of the resetting of said portions and the length of a sinuously corrugated wire by changing the distance between said first and second means.

10. A device for adjusting the length of sinuously corrugated wires as described in claim 6, wherein said first means consists or a wheel with a definitenumber of tooth-like portions successively extended into said passage when said wheel is rotated, wherein said second means is yieldingly forced toward said passage so that the said portion thereof extends thereinto, and wherein said means effecting intermittant shifting of said second means include a lifting lever and rotary cam means with a number of cam portions equal to the number of tooth-like portions on said first wheel.

ll. In a device for adjusting the length of sinuously corrugated wires a housing embodying a main body and a top portion hingedly connected to said main body, said top portion including a channeled bottom wall to form a through-passage in said housing when said top portion is properly resting on said main body, and means in said main body and top portion arranged to operate in planes rectangularly related to said throughpassage and partly extended thereinto adapted to advance a corrugated wire through said passage and change the width of the corrugations of said wire.

12. The combination of a wire bending machine having rotary means for continuously bending a .wire into zigzag shape, a (rotary device for changing the number of zigzags per foot in a zigzag-shaped wire by changing the spacing of the cross members in said wire, and adjustable means coupling said device with said wire bending machine for actuating said device in properly timed relation with respect to said wire bending machine for different spacings of the cross-members in said zigzag-shaped wire.

13. The combination of a wire bending machine having rotary means for continuously bending a wire into zigzag shape, a rotary device for changing the number of zigzags per foot in a zigzag-shaped wire by changing the spacing of its cross members, a driving connection between said wire bending machine and said device and adjustable coupling means in said driving connection for actuating said device in properly timed relation with respect to said wire bending machine for different spacings of the cross members in said zigzag-shaped wire.

14. In a method for changing the length of a sinuously corrugated wire having leftand righthanded open loops connected by intermediate portions, the steps of engaging and advancing successively the central areas of the intermediate portions of a corrugated wire, and successively arresting and stopping advancement of the central areas of other intermediate portions of said wire to effect a step by step resetting of the relative spacing of the said intermediate portions with respect to each other and a floating reshaping of the loop between said intermediate portions of said wire.

15. In a device for adjusting the length of sin uously corrugated wires'a guiding passage for a sinuously corrugated wire, rotatable means having tooth-like portions extended into and intersecting said passage in a plane extending lengthwise through said passage in rectangular relationship with respect thereto for successive direct engagement with the cross members of said corrugated wire and advancement of said wire through said passage, and means cooperating in timed relation with said rotatable means in resetting the spacing of said cross members when said corrugated wire is advancing through said guiding passage.

SVEND G. BLUMENSAADT. 

